Glomulina oculus, New Calcareous Foraminiferal Species from the High Arctic: A Potential Indicator of a Nearby Marine-Terminating Glacier

Abstract

A new calcareous Arctic foraminiferal species, Glomulina oculus n. sp., belonging to the suborder Miliolina has been observed in surface samples from northern Nares Strait and Petermann Fjord, NW Greenland, and off Zachariae Isbrae, NE Greenland, as well as in early Holocene sediments from the northern Baffin Bay region and on the NE Greenland shelf. In some samples, this new porcelaneous species makes up a significant fraction of the foraminiferal assemblage, particularly in samples with a relatively large sand content, and we suggest that this species is indicative of an Arctic environment with marine-terminating glaciers. Yet, further studies are needed to ascertain its full habitat range.